Newbie Rifle Recommended for Hog and Deer Hunting

Hello,

My co worker invited me to his ranch to shoot some hogs that has been a problem for him. I live in Texas. This is literally my first time shooting.
There is deer feeder where the owner says the hogs like to eat.

I go to the stand and sit in there with my AR-15 shooting .223 rounds with a scope. .

3 hogs pass by and I shoot on near the rib cage. The hog takes off running. I go look for blood and do not see none. It was raining as well. I am sure I hit the hog.

Another hog pass by, I shoot in the rib cage and same thing, the hog takes off running. I don't see any blood. Maybe I missed.

1. Is an AR-15, 223 or 556 recommended for hog hunting? I am seriously thinking of going buy a big caliber rifle tomorrow with scope.
2. What is the recommended rifle for deer and hog hunting at 50-200 yards away? What scope do you recommend? I will be hunting in Texas. I am not sure AR-15 is stronger enough for me as newbie.

Thank you

Bad shot placement especially with 223. Shoot them behind the ear or center of neck.

Thank you SapperTitan,

I believe you are correct, after talking to the rancher he said the same thing. He said shooting hog with a AR-15, 223 in the body will not drop them instantly. I did not know this and I stay in the stand for like 5 hours too.

What type of rifle can I use to shoot hog in the body and cause big impact?

Thanks

Any of the 30 caliber rifles like the 308 can and will drop a hog if you hit them in the shoulder, neck, or head but any descent size hog is gonna run with a lung or even heart shot most the time. They might not make it far but they will almost always run unless you turn their lights out or paralyze them.

Thank you.

Sorry if this is a silly question.

What does "any of the 30 caliber rifles" mean?

Thanks

308, 30-06, 30-30, 300win,

The point is a larger caliber isn’t gonna knock a hog down with a bad shot or even a lung or heart shot. Shot placement is important no matter the caliber. Many hogs are killed every year with smaller calibers just got to hit them in the right spot.

What bullets were you using in the AR?
If FMJ they don't work well for hunting, don't use varmint bullets either.
There is loaded ammo with real hunting bullets such as Nosler Partition and Barnes TSX, not cheap but you don't need many if just used for hunting.
Best solution is to get a bolt action (Remington, Savage, Tika, etc) in 270 or 30 caliber as discribed above. A 3-9x scope. Check pawn shops for used ones.

Any time hunting hogs, draw a mental line between the eyes of the hog and the point of his shoulder. Any shot along that line will anchor your hog very nicely. I once shot a hog with a 9.3x62 (286 gr bullet @ 2400 fps) right behind the shoulder. There were lung fragments all over the ground, but the hog still made it about 80 yards through fairly thick brush. I was very lucky to find him.

Repeat after me: "Body shots on hogs are bad news."

I'm not saying they won't drop hogs on the spot. They can and will, but you can never really tell where and when.

Thank you SapperTitan,

I am learning now. I shot the hogs here http://prntscr.com/jdxrfz. I did not know to shoot in the shoulder or head if using a bigger caliber rifle.

So if I buy a 308 (or any of the 30 caliber) rifle, I should aim for the hog shoulder, neck, or head?
But for the smaller calibers (AR-15 223 or 556) I need to aim at the head near the ears?

pretty much. If you shot those hogs that far back they are guy shot or you might have hit liver, both are deadly but the hogs will run a long ways.

Shot placement is critical to drop a pig. Even a 20 pounder might make it 25 yards if shot through the lungs with a 223

Brain shots, base of the neck, or spine shots are just about the only way to ensure he falls over on impact

Take a look below. As stated above... anything behind the shoulder will give a pig time to run (sometimes a very long time to run)

Thanks MClark,

There is a gun show on 5/19 in Houston. I never bought a used rifle before. How I know if the used rifle will not have mechanical issues. I really rather just buy new.

SapperTitan,

And just to clarify,with a 223/556 (AR-15) the spot needs to be near the hog ear? Can the shot not be on the shoulder?

Thanks.

Thank you syncerus,

"Body shots on hogs are bad news."

Also body shots with a smaller caliber is really bad news from what I am reading.

Well, this is Exactly what I did today. I shot 2 hogs behind the shoulder on the body, and the took off running in the deep trees.

Does this mean the 223/556 (AR-15) can not drop a hog on the shoulder either?

Thanks SapperTitan,

What does guy shot mean?

Your 223 needs to land inside the red polygon if you desire to drop a pig where it stands. Prepare for a 2nd shot always when using 223.

Even a 300 RUM (I have one) will often not anchor a pig where it stands if shot through the lungs.

gut shot as in stomach and intestines

Another option if you already have an AR-15 would be to simply buy another upper.

6.8SPC II is popular, as is the 6.5 Grendel. Either of those will work on hogs and mount on your existing AR-15 lower receiver. You still have to put the bullet in the shoulder or neck. Head shots work but they're more difficult since the brain is so small.

If you are going to use an AR-15 shooting a .223 round, then aim for the hog's head or the hog's neck.

I shoot a .270, a 300WSM and a 7mag and I make head shots on hogs because I don't like tracking them all night through the woods. Body shots (behind the shoulder or directly into the shoulder) sometimes don't produce a good blood trail.

Goodo Texas boy, with already having the AR platform you could consider the upper in 7.62x39. Ammo cheap and is 30 cal. with 124 gr. soft points or hollow ones. This will attach right to the AR lower. Not good for long range past 125 yards. There are other calibers also that will hook up to the AR lower.
Just my .
Welcome to the forum.

Thank you TexasTURhunter,

Yes, I understand now. I know better now. When using my ar15 223 I can only take head shots. And take another shots just case I miss. I clearly took one body shot, and that was in correct shot placement.

If I buy and use a .270 or 30 caliber rifle, I can aim at head ,kneck, and shoulder and drop hog? But using 223, only head shots, correct?

Thank you

I'm shooting them on the run a lot, so I put my .223 and 5.56s back in the safe and went to a .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor last year. Haven;t had one run off on me since (at least not far).

Draw a line from eye to eye raise up 1-1.5in and he will drop with his feet directly underneath him/her. no chase. Head goes up, feet buckle, drt----(DEAD RIGHT THERE) any caliber works with this aim point. Good luck and safe hunting.

Buy a 6.5mm Grendel upper for your AR15. Don't have to change anything but the mags. Similar trajectory and stopping power to an AR10 but much lighter. Get some Hornady Black 6.5 Grendel Ammo 123 Grain ELD Match. Then you got a .223 for the range and 6.5 (similar to .30 cal) for hog huntin.

Anywhere inside that red line is probably going to put him down, in his tracks, even with a 223. It ain't so much about the rifle it's about where you are putting the bullets. A bigger rifle isn't going to help unless you can hit inside that red line. You shoot one in the shoulder with a 308 they are likely to run a ways before they stop.

What kind of bullets are you shooting? At what range?

Just for perspective, even a 300 grain slug from a 12 gauge may not effectively anchor a hog if shot through the ribs. Shot a 125 pounder a few years back at 30 yards with a Hornady 300 grain SST 12-gauge round. Smashed both lungs and clipped the heart. Pig still ran almost a hundred yards before piling up. They are tough animals.

223 is really the smallest caliber you want to use for a hog. I personally dont recommend it but you already have a 223 so make the best of it. I am guessing the ammo you are using isnt a quality hunting round. Go buy some decent ammo instead of buying a freaking gun. Its a lot cheaper!!!! I recommend this https://www.midwayusa.com/product/666808...-free-box-of-20 [url=https://www.midwayusa.com/product/666808/barnes-vor-tx-ammunition-556x45mm-nato-70-grain-tsx-hollow-point-boat-tail-lead-free-box-of-20][/url]

If you want to drop a hog with a 223 you better shoot it in the head because you will never drop a hog shooting it in the body with such a weak caliber. Try a 50 BMG for DRT shots to the body! lol

All the above is good advice..

Another thing you may not know is how long to wait before going after a shot pig (or any large animal). That pig may run 100 yards into the brush and sit down after being shot. If he hears you coming 5 minutes later, he'll get up and run for 10 minutes until he dies. He can run 2 miles in 10 minutes and you'll never find him.

If you wait 1 hour before going to look,you won't push him... and he may just sit there 100 or maybe omly 30 yards from where you shot him and bleed out.

Nobody taught me how to hunt. I learned before the internet and probably killed 10 deer (my first season) before I ever found one because I didn't know what I just wrote above.

not very acurate drawing (pic) of the front shoulder bone structure.

What's not accurate?

If you wait an hour in the Texas heat I wouldn't eat the meat.

thar ya go. If ya compair, other piic has extra bone coming down from shoulder plate.

Do me own butchering, (deer & hogs) since knee high ta grass hopper.

As pappy says :

Rib shot covers heart, lung, liver, & guts. Any of wich can be deadly.
.223-556 is small cal. rib shot chances are majority of blood flows inta body cavity, & when hog or deer runs what little blood trail their is, is scarce & spread out.
Recovery of an animal.
Mark were you were standing when shot taken, mental note of were animal was at time of shot, then watch direction it runs, listening. Let area settle down, walk to were animal was at shot. Look for blood, hair, tissue. It can give you idea of were it was hit. Mark area, move in direction animal went, move slowly & try not disturb area. Every time find blood mark it, can follow line, if none found, slowly make a zig-zag.
Get a friend, have them take bottle of katchup make a fake trail for practice.
Recovery is difficalt to learn, again if animal is running spots of blood are found farther apart.
Ribs NOT best shot. Have had great luck hog hunting with AR in ,223 cheap fmj & hp. .55 grain. Shots have been close range, head, & heart & lung area, recovered all but one. With .223 does NOT leave best blood trail, most goes in body cavity. Their a differance between heart & lung & a rib shot.
Others have given GREAT advice. Bigger cal.is better. But .223 will put down hogs.
Practice recovery with friend, using ketchup, move slow trying not disturb area, mark findings, also wounded animals head for water source. Stay with it, ask questions. Best wishes.

Thank you for this help